How? Or Why?

Have any of you ever wondered, How? Or Why? I know I have. How is that going to happen? And it is these questions that determine our outlook of life. The gift of foresight is highly sought after. If I had the ability to accurately and confidently see even as little as three minutes into the future, I would be perfectly content with that. And when one starts asking the how or the why questions, the Christian needs to stop that, and turn to the Father.

#1, It is not about you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us it is God’s will to always give thanks.

God will throw something at you or allow something to be thrown. The aim will be perfect each time. And when it hits you, that is when most of us start asking the Why questions.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

If you were banking on a new promotion, or you were planning on that big raise, and then it doesn’t happen, that is God saying there are better things coming. You need to trust Him and let God do His work.

#2, You cannot completely trust yourself.

I remember the first time I read this next verse. And it instantly became one of my favorites.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”.

And on that same note,

Romans 12:2”Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.

I remember when I was young, and I heard the 23rd psalm, “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” And I thought to myself, man that’s kind of dumb… why doesn’t he want his shepherd? In my childhood mind, I did not understand. It means, the Lord is my shepherd I don’t want anything else.

I don’t want anything other than the will of God. Because when I do things by myself, that is when things start getting dicey. God has my best interest in mind. And, as such, I trust He will get me through it. God has your best interest in mind too.

There is a Christian song by the artist Lecrae titled “Background”. Through his brilliant lyrics, he says;

“I don’t want to take the lead, ’cause I’m prone to make mistakes. All these folks who follow me, goin’ end up in the wrong place.” And here is where it gets powerful, “cause if I do this by myself, I’m scared that I’ll succeed, And no longer trust in You, ’cause I only trust in me.”

Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster”.

Just as it is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

I want to bring your attention to the puzzle illustration. Individual pieces by themselves only grant you a small bit of the big picture. Acting on seeing a small bit of the small picture is not a wise thing to do.

#3, Use Wisdom.

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”.

Now, there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. One of the Greek words for wisdom is Sophia.

We get the word Sapphire from that. So wisdom properly equals clarity. Two more good examples are “sophistication is the art of using wisdom and philosophy is affection for wisdom.

Proverbs 8: 10 – 11 ”Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her”.

It is no mistake that wisdom is compared to a woman, and on top of that Sophia being a woman’s name.

It’s not about you, don’t trust yourself, and use wisdom. This is Pastor Amos reminding you to keep it in Jesus.